Nine police officers, four Neighbourhood Police Team officers, a police sergeant, a dog handler, his dog, armed police, traffic officers and a drone were involved in the hunt for him
A Goole man whose “life was in a bit of a mess” hurriedly fled from a police station by jumping on a bin and scaling a wall before going on the run. Nine police officers, four Neighbourhood Police Team officers, a police sergeant, a dog handler, his dog, armed police and traffic officers joined in the hunt for fugitive Joseph McMaster when he escaped from the car park of a police station, a court heard.
McMaster, 26, of North Street, Goole, admitted escaping from lawful custody on June 11. He also admitted being in breach of a restraining order on the same day.
Stephen Welch, prosecuting, told Grimsby Crown Court that police officers used a drone operated by Humberside Fire and Rescue Service to track McMaster down. He was later spotted on Aire Street, Goole, where he took to a rooftop in a two-hour stand-off after fleeing from the police station at about 4pm.
McMaster had gone to the police station to make a complaint about somebody harassing him. But when police noted that he had been in contact with the person in breach of a restraining order, he fled from the police station.
The restraining order had been made at Hull Magistrates’ Court on August 5 last year. McMaster used a wheelie bin to vault over the car park wall. When he was located, he came down from the roof on Aire Street a couple of hours later.
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Molly Minter, mitigating, said that McMaster had suffered problems and he claimed that he was fearful when he was supposedly “blackmailed” by the person he was complaining about. He went to the police station.
“He ran out because of desperation,” said Miss Minter. “He is sorry and he knows he was wrong.” McMaster had previously worked at a takeaway in Goole.
Judge Richard Woolfall said: “Your life was in a bit of a mess and things got on top of you. You are heading in the right direction and I hope you continue with your progress and I hope the contact from your family and employment will help in the future.”
McMaster was jailed for seven months.